Tray for stacking layers of structural bottles

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. The tray has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface. The upper surface has a plurality of wells and the lower surface has a plurality of pockets, the pockets and wells are disposed in a corresponding array of columns and rows. An annular seating surface of a well is segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well. The concave surface has a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment. The radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles. A first rotational interlock structure extends outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/533,532 filed Jul. 17, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated in its entirety herein by reference and made a part hereof.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a stackable tray for supporting an array of structural bottles for containing liquids such as water, milk, juice. Also disclosed are stacked arrangements of trays and structural bottles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Plastic jugs are commonly used to ship liquids such as milk, water, and juice. Typically the jugs are thermoformed from a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE). The jugs can be stored in cube-shaped milk crates where an upstanding wall defines a central chamber closed at the bottom by a wall and open at the top. The central chamber is typically divided into four or more sub-chambers by upstanding walls, each sub-chamber dimensioned for receiving a jug. Jugs can also be placed on a two-sided, generally rectangular or square flat tray. A top surface of the tray has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows each for receiving a jug bottom. The opposite surface of the tray has a plurality of wells for receiving a top portion of a milk jug. A tray can be placed between adjacent layers of jugs to form a stacked arrangement. Thus, the jugs form part of the supporting structure of a stacked arrangement.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,809,366 discloses a stackable tray for jugs having a first surface for supporting a bottom of jugs in jug receiving cells. On an opposed surface, a collar extends downwardly for receiving a top portion of a jug and having at least one notch sized to receive a portion of a handle of a jug located beneath each jug. Two or more notches are provided to receive jugs with their handles in more than one orientation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles. The tray has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface. The upper surface has a plurality of wells and the lower surface has a plurality of pockets, the wells and pockets are disposed in an array of columns and rows. An annular seating surface of a well is segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well. The concave surface has a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment. The radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles. A first rotational interlock structure extends outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a top of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottom of a tray for stacking layers of structural bottles.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stacked arrangement of two layers of jugs separated by a tray of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a pocket having two notches for receiving a jug handle in two different orientations.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of a pocket with a single notch for receiving a jug handle in a single orientation.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray of FIG. 6 for receiving a bottom of a Dura-Lite™ milk jug sold by the Consolidated Container Company.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Dura-Lite™ milk jug.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a top surface of an alternate embodiment of a tray of the present invention for use with a Mid-America milk jug of Mid-America Machining, Inc.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a single well of the tray of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the tray of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a single pocket for receiving a top portion of a Mid-America milk jug.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a milk jug known as the Dura-Lite™ bottle sold by the Consolidated Container Company.

FIG. 15 is a top view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566.

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of a Mid-America milk jug from U.S. Design Pat. No. D733,566.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

FIGS. 1-13 show three principal embodiments of a tray 10 for stacking layers of structural bottles 12. Structural bottles are those used to contain, ship and dispense liquids and can stand on their own. The terms “structural bottles” is meant to include bottles, jars, jugs, flasks and the like. FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of a tray 10 of a web of material having an upper surface 14 and an opposed lower surface 16. The upper surface 14 has a plurality of wells 18 disposed in an array of columns and rows and each well 18 is shaped and dimensioned for receiving a bottom portion 20 of the bottles 12. As shown, the tray has four columns and five rows, i.e., 4×5, for a total of 20 wells. The tray could have a different number of rows and columns without departing from the present invention. The number of columns can equal the number or rows or have a different number less or more than the number of rows.

The lower surface 16 of the tray 10 has a plurality of pockets 22 disposed in an array of columns and rows and each pocket 22 is shaped for engaging a top portion 24 of a bottle 12. Each pocket 22 has a complementary shape to a corresponding well 18.

As best seen in FIG. 1, each well 18 has an annular seating surface 30 circumjacent a generally cylindrical post 32 and separated therefrom by an annular recess 34. The annular seating surface 30 has a segmented wall having eight segments 36 to define a generally octagonal upstanding wall. Each segment 36 has a generally concave surface beginning from a top 38 to a bottom 40, the surface having a vertical portion 42 that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment 44 providing a horizontal support. The cylindrical post 32 has a flat upper surface 46 that is essentially coplanar with the radial segment 44 so that these surfaces cooperate to support a bottom 20 of a bottle 12. The wells 18 are shaped and sized to accommodate the bottoms 20 of bottles 12 and to provide vertical and lateral support to the bottles 12.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, each pocket 22 has an axially extending wall 48 that corresponds to the annular recess 34 and has eight segments 50 corresponding to the eight segments 36 of the upstanding wall. An interior surface 52 of the pocket 22 tapers radially inwardly from a top 54 to an intermediate portion 56 where it connects to an axially extending portion 58 that terminates in a radial flange 60 that corresponds to the radial segment 44. FIG. 4 shows two segments of the wall 48 having a portion removed to form a recess 62 for receiving a handle 92 of a bottle 12. The two recesses 62 are shown across from one another with three segments separating them, but a different number of separating segments could be provided without departing from the present invention. FIG. 5 shows the wall 48 having a single recess 62 for receiving a handle of a bottle.

FIG. 3 shows a stacked arrangement 70 having two bottles 12 and a tray 10, for example. A first bottle 12 has its bottom surface 20 inside a well 18 and a second bottle 12, is positioned in the corresponding pocket below the first bottle. The tray 10 transfers weight from the first bottle to the second bottle. Any of the trays disclosed herein can be used to form a stacked arrangement.

FIGS. 6-9 show a second embodiment of the tray 100 for use with a bottle 12, such as a milk jug 80 shown in FIG. 14. This milk jug 80 is sold by the Consolidated Container Company under the tradename Dura-Lite™. The Dura-Lite™ milk jug 80 has two sets of grooves 82 extending along a sidewall of the bottle from a bottom surface 88 to an intermediate portion of the jug 90. The tray 100 has a rotational lock structure 81 to prevent the rotation of a milk jug 80 within the well. The rotational lock structure 81 can be located on one or more segments 36 of the annular seating surface 30, and more preferably on the vertical portion 42 of the annular seat 30. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in one example embodiment, the rotational lock structure 81 has four vertical ribs 84 located in the vertical portion 42 of the annular seat 30 on one or two segments 36 of the annular seat. The tray 100 has four corner wells 86 and each has two sets of four vertical ribs 84 while all the remaining wells 18 have a single set of four vertical ribs 84. While four ribs are shown, it is contemplated having from 1 rib to 10 ribs. The vertical ribs 84 are dimensioned to fit within the grooves 82 to provide resistance to rotation of the milk jug 80 within the well 18. FIG. 9 shows the bottom surface of the tray 100 with each pocket 22 having a single recess 62 for receiving a handle of a bottle 92.

FIGS. 10-13 show a third embodiment of a tray 200 for use with milk jugs 12 sold by Mid-America. The Mid-America milk jug is shown in a top and bottom view respectively in FIGS. 15 and 16. FIGS. 10-11 show that each of the wells 18 have a central post 202 that, instead of being cylindrical, has a generally square base 204 and a generally circular top 206 and a tapering surface 208 connecting the base 204 to the top 206. Additionally, two of the segments 210 of the axially extending wall 48 have a rectangular notch 212 dimensioned to receive edges 214 of the Mid-America bottle to serve as the rotational lock structure 81. The two notches 212 are spaced about 90° from one another about an axis extending through the central post 202. FIG. 13 shows the recesses 62 for receiving the handle 92 of the bottle is spaced about 120° from each of the notches 212.

The trays described herein can be made from any suitable material such as plastic, wood, paperboard, metal, and composite materials. In a more preferred embodiment, the tray is made from a polymeric material formed from monomers of olefins, amides, esters, ethers, sulfones, acrylates, into homopolymers, copolymers, terpolymers, block copolymers, and the like. The tray can have a shape of polygonal, circular, oval or other. Preferably, the tray is rectangular or square. In one preferred form of the invention, the tray is fabricated from high molecular weight polyethylene. The tray can be formed through manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and the like.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be protected otherwise than as specifically described. 

I claim:
 1. A tray for stacking layers of structural bottles comprising: a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a cylindrical post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rotational interlock structure extending outward from the concave surface along one of the segments.
 2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the first rotational interlock structure is a rib.
 3. The tray of claim 2 wherein the first rotational interlock structure has more than one rib.
 4. The tray of claim 3 wherein the rib extends axially of the tray.
 5. The tray of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical post has a flat upper surface essentially coplanar with the seating surface.
 6. The tray of claim 1 further comprising a corner well having a second rotational interlock structure spaced from the first rotational interlock structure.
 7. The tray of claim 6 further comprising a recess in one of the pockets for receiving a handle of one of the structural bottles.
 8. The tray of claim 1 wherein the rotational lock structure comprises a generally rectangular notch in one of the segments.
 9. A tray for stacking layers of structural bottles comprising: a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rectangular shaped notch in one of the segments for receiving an edge of one of the structural bottles.
 10. The tray of claim 9 further comprising a second rectangular shaped notch in one of the segments and spaced from the first rectangular shaped notch by an angle of rotation about an axis through the well.
 11. The tray of claim 10 wherein the angle of rotation is about 90°.
 12. The tray of claim 11 wherein the post has a generally square base, a generally round top, and a surface connecting the base to the top.
 13. The tray of claim 12 wherein the post has a generally flat upper surface generally coplanar with the seating surface.
 14. A stacking arrangement for structural bottles comprising: a tray of a web of material having an upper surface and an opposed lower surface, the upper surface has a plurality of wells disposed in an array of columns and rows, the lower surface has a plurality of pockets disposed in an array of columns and rows, each pocket having a complementary shape to a corresponding well, each well has an annular seating surface circumjacent a cylindrical post and separated therefrom by an annular recess, the annular seating surface being segmented with each segment having a generally concave surface facing radially inwardly of the well, the concave surface having a vertical portion that extends downwardly and radially inwardly to a radial segment, the radial segment forms a horizontal support surface for receiving a bottom of one of the structural bottles, and a first rotational interlock structure extending outward from the concave surface along one of the segments; and a structural bottle having a bottom surface, a sidewall and a handle, the bottom surface in the well and the first rotational interlock structure engaging a portion of the bottle to resist rotation about an axis of the well.
 15. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the first rotational interlock structure is a rib.
 16. The stacking arrangement of claim 15 wherein the first rotational interlock structure has more than one rib.
 17. The stacking arrangement of claim 16 wherein the rib extends axially of the tray.
 18. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the cylindrical post has a flat upper surface essentially coplanar with the seating surface.
 19. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 further comprising a corner well having a second rotational interlock structure spaced from the first rotational interlock structure.
 20. The stacking arrangement of claim 14 wherein the rotational interlock structure comprises a generally rectangular notch in one of the segments. 